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WASHINGTON (CBS WASHINGTON) – Men are more likely to lie than women, but women were more likely to lie in specific situations.

Telling on average three lies each day, new research indicates that men total up to 1,092 lies each year, as opposed to their female counterparts who tell 728 each year –- an average of two-a-day.

Karen Pine, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, told the Daily Mail that she believes the art of lying is a vital characteristic for humans.

“We think lying is bad,” said Pine. “But actually the ability to deceive others has helped humans survive as a species.”

But while men may apparently feel the need to lie more often, it is women that have specific occasions where they are more prone to fibbing – such as when buying new clothes. That was when 39 percent of women felt the need to lie about their latest purchases compared to just 26 percent of men.

Another marked difference was that women were also found to be more likely to feign being busy to avoid an unwanted phone call. Half admit to this opposed to just over a third of men, according to research by BMW Financial Services and reported by the Express.

She also explained that socially skilled people have better qualities to be more successful in lying and that extroverts also tend to lie more often than more introverted people.

According to the study, men’s top five lies were, in order from most to least common: “1. I didn’t have that much to drink 2. Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine 3. I had no phone signal 4. It wasn’t that expensive 5. I’m on my way.”

Women’s top five were: “1. Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine 2. I don’t know where it is, I haven’t touched it 3. It wasn’t that expensive 4. I didn’t have that much to drink 5. I’ve got a headache.”